# Unusual things you saw today, or recently anyway **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802 "2015-06-17T23:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/41 "2015-06-20T14:03:31Z")
We live in a very rural area, and we have a woods in front of our home. We’ve also been getting a lot of rain lately. So last night I went outside at around 10 PM, and saw something that’s not unusual, but breathtaking none-the-less: the flickering lights of tens of thousands of lightning bugs across 3 or 4 acres. I stood there for a minute looking at it; it was like watching a constant fireworks display with no sound. I feel bad for folks who have never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/42 "2015-06-20T14:59:58Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > OK, I know that “destroy it with fire” is an internet catch phrase, but why would _anyone_ think that was a good decision? Damned if I know. Particularly if it’s attached to your house. The other day at the library seven big adolescent boys were trading “unsuitable images” in the Wi-Fi area. When someone told the tiny, little lady librarian, she went up to each and every one of them and told them they had to leave. They all went very meekly except one, who said something to her in Spanish. She replied in Spanish, and out he went. People were watching with their jaws dropped. I was ready to jump in with my self-defense if any of them got nasty, but they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/43 "2015-06-20T22:54:41Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > I’ve seen a guy twice now, walking down the street downtown wearing a gas mask. At 4:30 in the afternoon. Dressed like he works in an office. Are you in Detroit? This sounds like the artist from the documentary Detropia. Look it up and you’ll see what I mean. The poster for the film has a picture of him in his business suit and gas mask. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/44 "2015-06-22T13:56:47Z")
Another one… from the “innovative, but ghetto” category. I saw a guy on a scooter zipping along wearing no safety equipment but some goggles. Not _that_ strange, right? Helmets aren’t mandatory for people over 20 here in Texas. Except… [these are the goggles](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F-N%2Blo2rL._SY355_.jpg)he was wearing. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/45 "2015-06-22T15:57:58Z")
Yesterday morning there were almost a dozen ducks, about 8 or 9 geese, and one egret in my backyard. Maybe that’s not so unusual here for this time of year, but I just moved into this house and it seemed like quite the menagerie. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/46 "2015-06-22T17:05:08Z")
I was driving to the gym on Saturday (one of the back roads, under development but still has a big pasture) to see a pickup truck driving my way on the left hand shoulder in the grass, with a black calf trotting in front of it. I presume this is 21st century cattle wrangling. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/47 "2015-06-22T17:17:56Z")
Or a really odd volunteer fire department. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/48 "2015-06-22T18:13:07Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I was at Target the other day, buying stuff like waxpaper and a trash can, and I saw this chick come in wearing full length leggings, a trenchcoat, and a big scarf over her head with sunglasses. [Very much an Audrey Hepburn in “Charade” kind of look.](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/116530709080667140/) > Not too weird, except that it was sunny, super-humid and about 98 degrees out. That girl had to be cooking in that get-up. Heroine addict? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/49 "2015-06-22T18:37:37Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Heroine addict? Addicted to bravery and valor? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/50 "2015-06-22T18:43:40Z")
Around midnight last night I was outside and looked up to see 2 perfectly parallel contrails. Then I realized they were power lines :o ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/51 "2015-06-23T18:21:33Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > Yesterday morning there were almost a dozen ducks, about 8 or 9 geese, and one egret in my backyard. Maybe that’s not so unusual here for this time of year, but I just moved into this house and it seemed like quite the menagerie. A few years ago I saw a mom duck with baby ducks in a line, crossing the busy (OK, busy for around here) main road – a big pickup had stopped and they crossed no problem. A few weeks ago, a mom and a line of baby ducks started out again on that same stretch of road, got spooked by cars approaching and doubled back. Seeing that line of toddlers do a little about-face all in a line was so cute. Cars stopped so I think they tried again. I was out of sight before I could see if they made it all the way. Go ducks go! ---
**Author:** ![Osiris\_the\_1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de0a6/32.png) [@Osiris\_the\_1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osiris_the_1st)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/52 "2015-06-24T15:06:07Z")
I saw 4 racoons taking the off-ramp from I-65 into Vestavia Hills. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/53 "2015-06-24T15:40:27Z")
> [@Osiris\_the\_1st](#): > > I saw 4 racoons taking the off-ramp from I-65 into Vestavia Hills. What were they driving? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/54 "2015-06-24T15:48:27Z")
A Mercury Bobcat ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/55 "2015-06-24T19:22:19Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > What were they driving? Garbage can on wheels. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/56 "2015-06-24T20:09:00Z")
> [@Osiris\_the\_1st](#): > > I saw 4 racoons taking the off-ramp from I-65 into Vestavia Hills. And they were nearly run off the road by 4 hamsters in a Kia Soul. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/57 "2015-06-24T20:42:29Z")
I saw a pink Mary Kay Cadillac on the Interstate this morning – a brand new Caddy. This is just the second one I’ve seen in the wild; the other belongs to my mother, who bought it from a dead Mary Kay Lady’s husband. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/58 "2015-06-25T14:03:52Z")
I saw that my neighbors had put a new deer statue on their lawn. Image my response when I thought it moved! It did! A beautiful young buck. We both stood very still, looking at each other, until he took off, calmly walking down the street. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/59 "2015-06-25T14:31:39Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Sometimes if it is really busy and they have nothing to do managers can take on tasks usually relegated to minions. Or maybe there was a mess they couldn’t wait on maintenance to clean worried it would look bad to customers. Some years ago, I was that weird sight: I was working the night audit at a reasonably upscale business hotel, and we were sold out - no room at the inn. One of our regular guests discovered a leak in the bathroom, and I had nowhere to move him, nor anyone else on duty to try to fix it. I grabbed the toolbox and some spare towels and went to patch up what I could. As I returned to the front desk, I ran into another of our regular guests, and he nearly died laughing at me: I was dressed in my red dress with white polka dots, my lovely forties-style peep-toe platform slingbacks, with my hair pinned up, and carrying a giant yellow toolbox. The following week, Mr. A. brought me a very ladylike pink toolbox for my next adventure in maintenance. > [@Finagle](#): > > OK, I know that “destroy it with fire” is an internet catch phrase, but why would _anyone_ think that was a good decision? My grandma notoriously burned down the outhouse trying to get rid of the wasps. I’d say that’s a perfectly rational response to a nest in the loo, though! (Same grandma, a few years earlier, “saved the ladder” when the roof of the family home caught fire. Unfortunately, she overlooked the fact that her brother was on top of that home, trying to put out the fire before it destroyed their home. Poor Uncle Pat had to jump!) > [@TheFaerie](#): > > The other day I saw two rabbits playing leap-bunny in the road (not THAT kind of leap-bunny!). One bunny would stand still while the other bunny ran at it at full speed then bunny 1 would leap straight up in the air so bunny 2 would run under/past it. They did that 5 or 6 times, then traded places with bunny 1 doing the running and bunny 2 leaping out of the way. After about 5 minutes of this, they must have gotten tired and retired to the lawn for a snack of nice, green grass. It was the cutest thing I’d seen al day. We have two juvenile bunnies who cavort and gambol about in the yard - the especially love to play under the sprinklers on hot days when I’m trying to keep the shrubs alive. I love sitting on the porch and watching them - their games look remarkably like those of human children. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I saw that my neighbors had put a new deer statue on their lawn. Image my response when I thought it moved! > > It did! A beautiful young buck. We both stood very still, looking at each other, until he took off, calmly walking down the street. In addition to our rabbits, there’s a doe and a pair of fawns hanging out in the woods behind our house - nice little stream back there. The fawns don’t play too much, but they’re so beautiful if I happen to catch them grazing on the neighbor’s shrubs and grass without them spotting me. Weirdest thing I’ve seen lately? Nothing really. Maybe the drunk college student riding in the trolley at the grocery store, while his poor friend was trying to buy some food to sober the kid up? ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802/60 "2015-06-25T15:22:45Z")
I saw a stormtrooper doing the Twist. I managed to get a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRQUSroBPAw) of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-things-you-saw-today-or-recently-anyway/722802.md?page=4)